Curtain May Start to Fall on MLS Aspirants this Weekend

The games are counting down and there are slightly less opportunities to gather ground in the race to the post season. The weekend was more notable for its losers, Toronto and Real Salt Lake perhaps suffering the most harmful consequences after the weekend action.

Wednesday sees the one midweek game unfold in Colorado when a very angry San Jose side visit. (See preview below). The big game of the weekend is a table topper between two in form sides, Columbus Crew and Los Angeles Galaxy who meet in Ohio. They stand first and third in the National Table and a Galaxy win would throw open the Supporters Shield, both to Bruce Arena’s California side, and to the Houston Dynamo. It may even open it up to the Chicago Fire who have what seems like a straightforward task at home to Toronto. Houston don’t play but have CONCACF Champions League business midweek.

Below the Supporters Shield battle, there are some key play-off tussles, most notably Sounders FC’s first ever visit to Boston. New England came to Seattle and won 1-0, the only side to win there against an eleven man Sounders side. With goal difference so heavily tilted in Seattle’s favour, an away win would stretch the gap to seven but in effect leave the Revs needing to pick up eight to catch Seattle. Unless Toronto can refind form in Chicago, Sounders might find their position looking very very solid by Saturday night. A New England victory would leave them looking very solidly placed and Sounders looking nervously at DC and Salt Lake’s remaining fixtures.

It may well be that the prognosticators start to level it down to the battle for the eighth place being between Real Salt Lake, New England and DC United. RSL visit Dallas. The Texas sides hopes of a late run ended with the weekend defeat by Kansas. How they respond to that will be key. DC wait until Sunday when they host San Jose who have to travel from Denver to Washington after their game in midweek. It looks to be the banker result this weekend, and DC could also profit from Toronto’s despair.

Colorado visit Kansas, and depending on what they achieve on Wednesday, could end the weekend on 43 points, which now seems to be enough to get into the post season.

USA League Table

		P	W	D	L	PTS	GD
1	Columbus Crew (E1)	25	11	10	4	43	10
2	Houston Dynamo (W1)	27	12	7	8	43	9
3	LA Galaxy (W2)	26	10	11	5	41	3
4	Chicago Fire (E2)	26	10	10	6	40	5
5	Seattle Sounders	26	9	11	6	38	7
6	Colorado Rapids	25	10	7	8	37	8
7	Chivas USA	24	11	4	9	37	1
8	DC United	26	8	12	6	36	1
9	Toronto FC	26	9	7	10	34	-4
10	Real Salt Lake	26	9	7	10	34	7
11	New England Revs	24	9	7	8	34	-4
12	Kansas City Wizards	25	8	6	11	30	-6
13	FC Dallas	25	7	6	12	27	-2
14	San Jose Earthquakes	23	5	6	12	21	-13
15	New York	26	4	5	17	17	-22

Wednesday, September 23

Colorado Rapids v San Jose Earthquakes 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 26

Columbus Crew v Los Angeles Galaxy 4:30 p.m.
New England Revolution v Seattle Sounders FC 4:30 p.m.
Kansas City Wizards v Colorado Rapids 5:30 p.m.
FC Dallas v Real Salt Lake 5:30 p.m.
Chicago Fire v Toronto FC 5:30 p.m.
Chivas USA v New York Red Bulls 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 27

D.C. United v San Jose Earthquakes 12pm

Colorado Rapids v San Jose Earthquakes – Wednesday  6:30 p.m.

The one midweek game sees Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes meet for the second time in six days. Friday nighgt’s game ended in high controversy when San Jose were denied a very hard fought for victory with the award of a late minute penalty to the Rapids. The frustration must have been felt way beyond Frank Yallop’s angry reaction at Buck Shaw Stadium, all the way to Boston, Toronto, Seattle, Salt Lake and DC. Nevertheless, if Colorado fail to win on Wednesday, those sides may regard the Rapids picking up just two of the six points available from San Jose as a very fortunate and welcome outcome. Chris Leitch and  Brandon McDonald picked up yellow cards for arguing that late call, which may go to show that feelings might run at an altitude appropriate to the location when the Quakes get to Denver.

Quakes are a much improved side in the second half of the season. In the first 18 games of the MLS season, they conceded 35 goals. But in the last five games, that number is just six goals, including that late penalty on Friday, a stretch that saw the side record their first two clean sheets of the season.

WESTERN CONFERENCE TABLE

Club	P	W	D	L	Pts
Houston	27	12	7	8	43
Los Angeles	26	10	11	5	41
Seattle	26	9	11	6	38
Colorado	25	10	7	8	37
Chivas USA	24	11	4	9	37
Real Salt Lake	26	9	8	9	34
FC Dallas	25	7	6	12	27
San Jose	23	5	6	12	21

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